Rural Health Champions

NEOSHO, Mo. – For the second year in a row, a Freeman Health System employee has been named “Missouri Rural Champion” by the Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care.

Dr. Barbara Miller, a Freeman family practice physician based in Neosho, was named the 2024 Rural Health Champion in late October.

This time last year, Freeman Behavioral Health Coach Sarah Willoughby was named the 2023 Rural Health Champion.

These two women, joining just six other men and women from around Missouri over the last two years, have made “significant contributions to improving the health and wellbeing of people in rural areas,” according to Diana Winder, Missouri’s Rural Health Coordinator.

Dr. Barbara Miller

Dr. Miller said she felt both surprise and pride when she first learned the news.

“In my first 11 years in family medicine, I served a tiny town in rural northwest Oklahoma (Shattuck). That community formed me as a community physician; they helped raise my children, we shared joys and sorrows. I learned to appreciate the rhythms of the wheat harvest and high school football championships. Making the decision to leave was extremely difficult, and I promised them and myself that I would train physicians who would go back there to serve, or at least to communities like that one. To me, this award means that I am moving toward keeping that promise.”

Neosho is home to the Family Medicine Residency Clinic, an affiliation between Freeman and Kansas City University of Medicine that provides care for the entire family via six resident physicians, overseen by Dr. Miller.

“I heard the U.S. does not have a physician shortage but a distribution shortage – not enough people going into primary care and not enough primary care physicians practicing in physician shortage areas,” Dr. Miller said. “This award acknowledges that Freeman’s family medicine residency program is meeting that challenge head-on. Our graduates will be well-equipped to provide care for the complex needs of patients in rural areas. It is the most meaningful work that I can imagine doing.”

Dr. Miller will receive her award during a ceremony held in Neosho from state officials in early 2025.

Sarah Willoughby, LCSW

When Sarah Willoughby first learned about being one of four people given the award in 2023, she said, “I didn’t feel like she did anything extraordinary – being a social worker means being dedicated to helping children and families reach their fullest potential so that’s what I strive to do every day.

“Throughout my career, I’ve focused on strengthening families by educating, supporting and empowering them to develop healthy habits that help both physically and mentally,” she continued. “Specifically with the RYSE program (Family-Based Approach for Healthy Lifestyles), I’ve witnessed children and their parents change in many ways – making time to plan healthy meals, model healthy habits for their children, and manage emotional or stress eating. We also supported parents and encouraged them to use praise and positive reinforcement to teach their children healthier routines with sleep, food and physical activity.”

During the last three years, Willoughby said, “it’s been my privilege to work with a team of doctors, nurses, registered dieticians and families to pioneer the RYSE program. RYSE is an evidence-based, year-long program that directly addresses childhood obesity by supporting rural, low-income families ready to change their eating habits and become more active. This program was especially important among Jasper- and Newton County-based children, since childhood obesity affects nearly one in five children in Missouri and is a top health concern for parents. Despite the grant ending, we are continuing RYSE – offering it to both children/families and adults with Medicaid.”

Prior to the RYSE program, Freeman’s pediatric providers had to refer patients to Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, which meant fewer children received the assistance they needed to make lifelong changes.

“I proudly became one of the first providers in Missouri to provide Intensive Family-Based Therapy for children/teens carrying extra weight and facing a future of potential medical problems including diabetes, heart problems or other medical concerns,” Willoughby said. “I’ve learned so much from our team and am grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.”

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